IndiGo flight cancellation: Special trains underused by stranded passengers while regular ones run full

On Sunday, the sixth day since technical issues grounded hundreds of IndiGo flights nationwide, the help desks set up at both terminals of Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport reported only a trickle of enquiries for rail options

MUMBAI: Even as regular long-distance trains continue to run at full capacity, the special services introduced to accommodate passengers stranded by the ongoing IndiGo flight disruptions are seeing unexpectedly low demand.

**EDS: RPT, CORRECTS DAY IN CAPTION** New Delhi: Passengers wait counters of the IndiGo airline, at Terminal 1 (T1) of the Indira Gandhi International Airport, in New Delhi, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. Domestic carrier IndiGo has cancelled over 200 flights from Delhi and Mumbai on Saturday, a day after managing to temporarily secure major relaxations in the second phase of the court-mandated new flight duty and rest period norms for cockpit crew, sources said. (PTI Photo) (PTI12_06_2025_RPT088A) (PTI)

On Sunday, the sixth day since technical issues grounded hundreds of IndiGo flights nationwide, the help desks set up at both terminals of Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport reported only a trickle of enquiries for rail options.

Western Railway announced a special Mumbai Central–New Delhi service on Sunday.

“For the convenience of passengers and to meet the surge in travel demand, Western Railway will run a special train on special fare,” said Vineet Abhishek, chief public relations officer. “The train will halt at Borivali, Surat, Vadodara, Ratlam, Nagda, Kota and Mathura, and will comprise AC 3-tier (economy) coaches.”

However, checks on IRCTC showed close to 450 vacant seats on the special train as of Sunday evening, while premium services such as Vande Bharat, Shatabdi Express, Rajdhani Express and Tejas Express remained fully booked.

A similar pattern was seen on the Pune–Bengaluru route, where special trains also had significant vacancies despite regular trains running at capacity.

At the Mumbai airport terminals, the joint railway help desks, staffed by representatives from IRCTC, Central Railway and Western Railway, continued to field queries mainly about baggage issues and ticket availability rather than bookings.

Among the stranded passengers was Hansif Kumar from Kolkata, who had travelled to Mumbai with his family for work and a family event.

“We tried other airlines but the fares had skyrocketed. Eight of us were staying in a hotel, and there was no extra accommodation available,” Kumar said. “Our luggage was already checked in and we received it only today. We will now book train tickets on the app. The only problem is that a journey that takes two-and-a-half hours by flight will now take nearly 30 hours by train.”

Travel industry representatives said the disruption has worsened holiday-season congestion.

“Winter is one of the peak travel periods due to vacations, weddings and favourable weather,” said Iqbal Mulla, former president of the Travel Agents Association of India. “The sudden IndiGo disruption has created confusion for travellers and agents, who are unsure whether to advise alternative flights or suggest trains, which take much longer.”